The government is set to conduct a review over the brightness of headlights after road safety campaigners expressed concerns.
Drivers have been complaining about the issue of being dazzled or even having their visibility impaired by the headlights of oncoming vehicles while driving in the dark, prompting the government to review the situation.
The idea is to look at whether current regulations are still fit for purpose, given the increase in headlight efficiency since the switch to LEDs.
According to a survey, three-quarters of motorists find driving after dark increasingly difficult because of brighter lights.
The Department for Transport has already commissioned new research into the causes and impact of glare, with findings due to feed directly into the UK’s upcoming Road Safety Strategy.
It follows growing evidence that LED headlights, which are now fitted as standard to most new vehicles, are producing an intense white-blue beam that can dazzle other drivers, particularly when poorly aligned or mounted on taller SUVs and other vehicles.
Incidentally, with taller vehicles and SUVs becoming a more popular choice than hatchbacks and estate cars, it appears to be a wider issue that in might previously have been.
The review will look at vehicle design, headlamp positioning and the automatic-levelling technology used to control beam height.
For fleets and professional drivers, the implications are clear – even brief glare can mean several metres of lost visibility, which is a serious hazard at any speed, never mind motorway speeds.
